{"id":7531,"date":"2020-08-30T16:17:46","date_gmt":"2020-08-30T16:17:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=7531"},"modified":"2023-08-24T21:55:29","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T21:55:29","slug":"comma-after-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-today\/","title":{"rendered":"Comma after \u201cToday\u201d: Rules, Tips &#038; Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}<\/style><p>Commas can be confusing for many. The rules aren&rsquo;t always clear, and a lot of the times putting a comma becomes a matter of judgment.<\/p>\n<p>It becomes a matter of whether a comma will enhance the meaning or improve the legibility of the text.<\/p>\n<p>However, even when there are <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.unr.edu\/writing-speaking-center\/student-resources\/writing-speaking-resources\/british-american-english\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">clear cut rules<\/a><\/strong>, these can be hard to discern.<\/p>\n<p>For example, some words seem to require a comma at times, whereas, at other times, these same words are as far away from a comma as possible.<\/p>\n<p>Take for instance a word like &ldquo;today.&rdquo; <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-sometimes\/\">Sometimes<\/a><\/strong>, it is followed by a comma, and sometimes, it isn&rsquo;t. Yet, in both cases, there are solid rules that need to be adhered to. So, what are they?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<br>\n[toc]\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Is &ldquo;today&rdquo; followed by a comma?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>If &ldquo;today&rdquo; comes at the beginning of a sentence and acts as an adverb, then a comma would be necessary. Alternatively, if it is in the middle of the sentence or is acting as a noun, then you don&rsquo;t need to use a comma unless the overall sentence structure requires it.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>&rdquo;Today&rdquo; as a noun<\/h2>\n<p>&ldquo;Today&rdquo; can be either a noun or an adverb. When functioning as a noun, &ldquo;today&rdquo; behaves like almost every other noun. It can be the subject of the sentence or the object of a verb. It can also be used as an appositive noun.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Example:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i>Today is a good day.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>Here, &ldquo;today&rdquo; is the subject of the sentence.<\/p>\n<p><i><br>\nThis Tuesday, today, is a busy day for me.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>In the second example, &ldquo;today&rdquo; is an <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/appositive-phrases\/\">appositive phrase<\/a><\/strong> that further specifies the preceding noun, which is &ldquo;this Tuesday.&rdquo; Even <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-before-though\/\">though<\/a><\/strong> this example is grammatically correct, it may come across to some of you as a bit pedantic.<\/p>\n<p>After all, no one talks like this, which is why you won&rsquo;t often see &ldquo;today&rdquo; used as an appositive noun.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Does &ldquo;today&rdquo; the noun take a comma?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>The answer is no. There is no specific reason that &ldquo;today&rdquo; the noun should be followed by a comma. After all, it is just another noun.<\/p>\n<p>However, like any other noun, when used as an appositive, it is surrounded by a comma on both sides. Yet, we also saw that this usage was fairly rare.<\/p>\n<div class=\"grow-exclusive-content-widget-aa70192d-d134-4c49-86a3-d6f2effb13c9 grow-allow-content-ads\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1FcGWj9ZmJCqbVuKMOa6A7yA_r8YRdtsq\/view?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16942 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg\" alt=\"Comma Rules Cheat Sheet\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-16942 size-full eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201280%20720'%3E%3Crect%20width='1280'%20height='720'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"Comma Rules Cheat Sheet\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 20px), 720px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive.jpeg 854w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-480x270.jpeg 480w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-720x405.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-320x180.jpeg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-735x413.jpeg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-335x188.jpeg 335w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-347x195.jpeg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-520x293.jpeg 520w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-640x360.jpeg 640w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-960x540.jpeg 960w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Comma-Cheat-Sheet-to-Google-Drive-1080x608.jpeg 1080w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>&rdquo;Today&rdquo; as an adverb<\/h2>\n<p>When it is an adverb, It helps specify the time a particular verb takes place.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Example:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i>I went for a walk today.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>In the above sentence, &ldquo;today&rdquo; lets us know when I went for a walk.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"wpil_keyword_link\" title=\"With this in mind\" href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/with-this-in-mind-alternatives\/\" data-wpil-keyword-link=\"linked\">With this in mind<\/a>, &ldquo;today&rdquo; the adverb can be used in one of two ways. It can either come in the middle of the sentence or come at the beginning of a sentence as an introductory word.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Example:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i>Someone called you today after you had just left.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>In this example, &ldquo;today&rdquo; is in the middle of the sentence.<\/p>\n<p><i><br>\nToday, someone called you after you had just left.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>This is the other usage where &ldquo;today&rdquo; comes at the beginning of a sentence as an introductory word.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><b>Does &ldquo;today&rdquo; the adverb take a comma?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Well, it depends.<\/p>\n<p>If &ldquo;today&rdquo; is in the middle or at the end of the sentence, then a comma is not needed.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Example:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i>We learned the multiplication table at school today.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>We saw him today at the park.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>However, if &ldquo;today&rdquo; comes at the beginning of the sentence as an introductory word, then it should be followed by a comma.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Example:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i>Today, we are going to finish our homework.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Today, we celebrate our Independence Day.<\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In fact, any introductory word that comes at the beginning of a sentence should be followed by a comma. Other introductory words you might be familiar with include &ldquo;furthermore&rdquo; and &ldquo;suddenly.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Also, other temporal expressions such as yesterday, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/comma-after-tomorrow-beginning-sentence\/\">tomorrow<\/a><\/strong>, in a few days, next month and so on, they all need to be followed by a comma when they come at the beginning of a sentence.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Example:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i>Furthermore, the countries would never agree to a peace treaty under these conditions.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><i>Suddenly, a big, black dog jumped up from behind the bushes.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Commas can be confusing for many. The rules aren&rsquo;t always clear, and a lot of the times putting a comma becomes a matter of judgment. It becomes a matter of whether a comma will enhance the meaning or improve the legibility of the text. However, even when there are clear cut rules, these can be &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7540,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"","disable-critical-css":false,"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,1119,1116],"tags":[80],"class_list":["post-7531","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-comma-rules","category-grammar","tag-comma"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7531","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7531"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7531\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26832,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7531\/revisions\/26832"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7540"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}